Now that the internal party battles are over, the focus shifts to the Nov. 4 general election and the fight over who will control the House and Senate. Democrats currently control the House 34-26 and the Senate 16-14. Republicans are expected to pick up some seats in the House and are targeting suburban Portland seats in particular.

"In terms of control of the Legislature, the party and the candidates closest to the center of the electorate will be successful," said Dan Lavey, president of Gallatin Public Affairs and a Republican strategist. "For the Republicans in Oregon to gain a legislative majority, we need to have a rural/suburban coalition, and that's a moderate business coalition combined with a populist conservative coalition."

The party's success in November will depend on whether the different factions can unite in the coming months, Lavey said.

Independence software engineer Mike Nearman knocked off Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, in the most high-profile upset. Bill Post beat Barbara Jensen for an open Keizer-area seat, and Greg Barreto beat John Turner for an open seat representing Northeast Oregon. The three winners were considered the more conservative candidates in each race.

Rep. Vic Gilliam, R-Silverton, hung on to his seat in an expensive battle against David Darnell, who was considered more conservative.

"There's a struggle for the soul of the Republican Party and what a real Republican is" in the primary, said Greg Leo, a top Oregon Republican figure. He said he didn't recall a more intense Republican primary season in the past 40 years.

But the fiercely fought -- and expensive -- primaries will benefit Republicans in the fall, he insisted.

Democrats "have to build the momentum for their fall campaigns, whereas we have campaign apparatuses that have been tested in the primary and have been revved up and are ready to go for November," he said.

For Democrats, Tuesday night's results mean it might be harder for them to find votes across the aisle.

"There are some people who were potential allies who are gone, and that will make a difference on tough issues," said Rep. Jeff Barker, D-Aloha. "The House will be more closely divided, which means that things will either have to be toward the center or they won't go anywhere."

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